Up until now, my favorite evaluations have included "Drinks too much Diet Coke" (not true any more) and (from an 11-year-old sitting with her mom in my class, when asked how I compared to other professors) "I don't know; I'm only 11 years old."
But today, having turned in my grades for one of my courses, I was treated to a new all-time fave. The question in our evaluation form is how available the instructor is to his or her students. The student's evaluation of my availability? "She's married, dude. Don't be a tool."
Anyone else have other good ones?
(Posted by Nancy Rapoport.)
Under availability
"It would be nice if you had office hours in the morning, too, but I probably wouldn't go, let's be honest."
Posted by: David Friedman | June 08, 2009 at 10:02 PM
Three from my hall of fame:
"Snappy dresser."
"Nods his head too much. Makes me think I'm being taught by a chicken."
"You're not only a fourth-tier law prof at a fourth-tier law school, but you're also an asshole."
Tim Zinnecker
Posted by: Tim Zinnecker | June 08, 2009 at 10:35 PM
Wow--we could also start a whole post on "nasty, unfair student evals." Of course, I haven't finished grading my other set of finals (I will! I will! Tonight!), so I haven't read the second set of evals yet.
Posted by: NRapoport | June 08, 2009 at 11:47 PM
If you think things students say in student evaluations can be bad, try reading what students write on ratemyprofessor.com.
Posted by: Scott Boone | June 09, 2009 at 01:28 AM
From rate my professor.com:
"I think he used to be hot, but he is kinda chubby now." Seriously.
Posted by: Lumen Mulligan | June 09, 2009 at 09:24 AM
Two of my favorites:
1. From my first semester of teaching, after I had come directly from being a graduate student: "Professor needs more ties." (I had only a few ties then, and I guess I had been recycling them too often.)
2. From the semester I was doing a coverage visit at Michigan, away from my regular post as a junior professor at Ohio State: "Prof. is great. Loved the class. Please don't get tenure at Ohio State, so you can come here and teach at Michigan." (Definitely from a student unclear on how law school hiring works....)
Posted by: Thomas Gallanis | June 09, 2009 at 11:37 AM
My personal favorite (from the general comment section):
"Hussey, You are hot. Will you marry me?" I was already married; so, no.
Posted by: Michael Hussey | June 09, 2009 at 04:10 PM
"Professor Bard will answer any question--no matter how stupid"
From a first semester, first year law student.
Is that a compliment or a criticism?
Posted by: Jennifer Bard | June 09, 2009 at 11:15 PM
Hi Nancy -
Great thread! Two of my recent favorites:
"Borderline between rude and hilarious." Hmm.
And from a recent Secured Transactions class: "Sometimes I need to be taught like I'm an idiot, so I thought that the text was too confusing."
Posted by: Juliet Moringiello | June 10, 2009 at 09:24 AM
"If I had enemies, I would instruct them to take this class."
Of course, maybe that's a compliment, since an enemy probably wouldn't take such advice. But in context, doesn't seem like one.
Posted by: Chris | June 10, 2009 at 03:01 PM
When I taught Estates and Trusts, one student came up this ambiguous comment:
"because of Prof. Scallen, death has taken on a whole new meaning for me." My dean could not contain her glee when reading it to me at my annual evaluation.
Posted by: Eileen Scallen | June 11, 2009 at 12:57 AM
A student wrote that my criminal procedure exam was ridiculous (this was on an "exam evaluation" form). He wrote it in huge letters, all caps, underlined ridiculous three times, and had several exclamation points after the word. By the way, the student spelled ridiculous "REDICULOUS."
Posted by: Julian Cook | June 14, 2009 at 09:42 AM
All things in their being are good for something.
Posted by: Supra Shoes | November 02, 2010 at 07:22 AM
All things in their being are good for something.
Posted by: Supra Shoes | November 02, 2010 at 07:58 AM